Classical

Music
1750-1815
 Background
information
1750-1815 approx.
Followed on from the
Baroque era.
Famous composers include
Mozart (1756-1791), Haydn
(1732-1809), and
Beethoven’s (1770-1827)
early works.
 Key musical features:

Music has simple, ‘singable’ melodies

Music is usually made up of 4-8 bar phrases
Clear, homophonic texture (usually)
Dynamics extended to include crescendo and
diminuendo
Timpani are often the only percussion used
Ornaments: an ornament decorates a melody by adding extra notes.
Ornaments are often short and add melodic and rhythmic interest.

Trill: rapid and repeated movement

between two adjacent notes.

Grace note: A type of ornament played as

a quick note before the main note of a
melody.
 Concepts commonly found in
the Classical Era
Imitation Stepwise / leaping
Repetition Phrase
Major/minor Question/Answer
Chromatic Modulation
Cadences
Sequence

Click on each concept to learn its definition.

 IMITATION

Where the melody is immediately

copied higher or lower in another part.
 REPETITION

A musical idea is heard more than once,

or repeated several times.
 MAJOR AND MINOR
SCALES
Major:

Minor:
 CHROMATIC
A stepwise series of notes built up
entirely of semitones.
This is a chromatic scale beginning on
C.
 SEQUENCE

A melodic phrase which is immediately

repeated at a higher or lower pitch.
 STEPWISE OR LEAPING

Stepwise: moving to notes

that are ‘next door’ to each
other

Leaping: moving to notes

that are far away from each
other
 PHRASE
A short musical idea, part of a melody.
 QUESTION AND ANSWER

An opening phrase. Usually followed by an

answer.
A reply to a musical question.
 MODULATION
Changing key

Sound example:
 http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqmusic/national5/concept
s/modulation.asp
 CADENCES
PERFECT: A cadence consists of two chords
at the end of a phrase. A perfect cadence is the
dominant to tonic chords (V-I). In the key of C
major, chords G-C.

IMPERFECT: A cadence consists of two

chords at the end of a phrase. In an imperfect
cadence the second chord is the dominant V
creating an unfinished effect. In the key of C
the second chord of an imperfect cadence
would be the chord of G.
1. There was a lighter texture than baroque
with melody often above chordal
accompaniment.

This means: Instead of composing very

complicated contrapuntal pieces, composers
began to write tunes with simpler
accompaniments.
2. Emphasis on grace and beauty of Melody and
Form
This means: Composers wrote beautiful tunes
that weren’t interrupted by the
accompaniment.
The composers began to compose in strict
forms e.g.
•Binary form (AB)
•Ternary Form (ABA)
•Rondo Form
 3. Variety and contrast within pieces of
music e.g. Key, Mood, Dynamics
This means:
The composers experimented with the
different keys available to them.

They wrote music in particular moods e.g. happy and

sad.

The composers used a wider range of dynamics than

the Baroque composers. They didn’t just use forte and
piano; they used all the others in between too.
 4. Baroque harpsichord continuo is replaced
by the piano
The composers didn’t write a bass line with
chords for the continuo anymore.
Most accompanying was done on the piano.
Bass instruments were given their own lines in
orchestral music rather than having to improvise
over the chords.
 5. Alberti Bass accompaniment is often
used

This is: a left hand broken chord accompaniment

 6. Importance is given to instrumental
music

Composers focused more on the sounds instruments

could make and the music they could make for them
rather than vocal music.

BUT!

They did still compose for voice!

The Baroque orchestra developed into the Classical
symphony orchestra with the introduction of more
instruments such as:
•Clarinet
•Trombone
•Timpani
•French Horn
Remember… the baroque basso continuo was no
longer used after the introduction of the pianoforte or
piano.
Instrumental Forms
of the Classical Era
 THEME AND VARIATIONS
The theme is a melody, a tune which is the main
idea for a composition.
In theme and variations, the theme may form a
whole section of the composition.
The variations occur when the main theme or tune
is altered perhaps by adding extra notes, changing
from major to minor or vice versa, changing
harmony, rhythm, time signature, or when the
theme is played in the bass, etc.
 RONDO

A B A C A. A form where the first

section (A) comes back between
contrasting sections.
 ROUND/CANON
Each part sings or plays the same melody,
entering one after the other. When they
reach the end they start again, e.g. 'Three
blind mice'.
The classical symphony 1st movement- usually fairly fast and
was derived from in sonata form
different forms from
2nd movement – at a slower speed –
the Baroque era.
usually in ternary or variation form
It normally has 4
movements. 3rd movement – either a minuet
and trio or scherzo
It is a work for the
whole orchestra. 4th movement – the finale, usually fast
and often in rondo or sonata form

Coda - A passage at the end of a piece of music which rounds it

off effectively.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqmusic/national5/concepts/coda.asp
 •Featuring a solo instrument and orchestra.
•It has three movements (fairly fast, slow, fast).
•Concludes with a cadenza where the player
demonstrates their virtuosic playing ability.

Mozart – Oboe Concerto in C Major

I: Allegro II: Adagio non troppo III: Rondo: Allegretto
 CADENZA
A passage of music which allows
soloists to display their technical ability
in singing or playing an instrument.
Performers used to improvise cadenzas
themselves but eventually composers
began to write them into the score.
The newly invented piano had more powers of expression than
the harpsichord which offered exciting possibilities.
As well as the dynamic possibilities, the piano was able to able
to shape a melody in the right hand and accompany the melody
quietly in the left.
A favourite accompaniment style was alberti bass which
consisted of broken chords repeated in the left hand keeping
the music moving and outlining the harmonies.
 Opera
During the classical period opera was a form of entertainment.

There were lots of composers of opera in the classical period

but the main ones were:
W.A. Mozart
Joseph Haydn
Giovanni Paisiello
Domenico Cimarosa
Antonio Salieri
Christoph Willibald Gluck
 What is an Opera?
An opera is a play (or drama) set to music, and then acted
and sung by singers accompanied by an orchestra
An opera is performed on stage, with scenery and costumes,
lighting and stage effects. The story might be funny or
serious or sometimes a mixture of both.

Operas written in the classical period are normally written in

French, Italian or German.

The word of an opera are called a libretto. In some

operas every word is sung while in others the musical
items are linked together by spoken conversations
between the characters.
 How are the voices used in Opera?

Before starting to write the music of an opera the composer

gets to know the libretto (story) well.
The composer then decides what type of voice would be best
for each part.

The composer then begins to write the music – which must

match the story, and fit the words.
 Syllabic and Melismatic

SYLLABIC: Vocal music where each

syllable is given one note only.
MELISMATIC: Several notes sung to
one syllable.
 Aria

A song in an opera, oratorio or cantata

with orchestral accompaniment.
 Chorus

Group of singers performing together.